Nuno sparkles in winter debut

Mariners lefty Vidal Nuno opened his winter season Saturday by pitching six scoreless innings for Aragua in a 6-2 victory over Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Nuno permitted just four hits while walking one and striking out four in a brisk 77-pitch outing that included 53 strikes. His start came 13 days after he pitched six innings in the Mariners in their season finale.

"I got the opportunity," he said late in the season, "and I want to go out there and enjoy it. My arm is fresh. I’ll take care of it."

Nuno, 28, was 1-4 with a 4.11 ERA for the Mariners as a swingman in 32 appearances after arriving from Arizona in a June 3 trade.

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The club has full control over Nuno, who won’t be eligible for arbitration until after next season at the earliest. He also has an option remaining.

Some other news from Aragua:

***Outfielder James Jones is batting .261 (6-for-23) in six games.

***Outfielder Stefen Romero made his winter debut Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a double as the designated hitter.

***An old friend, right-hander Freddy Garcia, also made his winter debut Sunday by pitching five scoreless innings and getting the victory when Aragua beat Caribes 2-1. Garcia, 39, hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2013 and spent most of last season in the Mexican League. He was 76-50 with a 3.89 ERA for the Mariners from 1999-2004.

OLSON’S DEBUT

Lefty Tyler Olson pitched four scoreless innings Saturday in his winter debut in Gigantes’ 4-0 victory over Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.

He gave up five hits but didn’t walk anyone and had two strikeouts.

Olson, 26, opened the season as a reliever on the big-league roster after a strong spring, but he was optioned May 3 to Triple-A Tacoma after going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 11 games.

The demotion, by rules, was rescinded when a subsequent examination revealed a bruised right knee. Olson was instead placed on the disabled list. When activated June 2, he was optioned to the Rainiers.

Olson spent the remainder of the season at Tacoma, where he was 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA in 25 games, including six starts.